Page 31 - Finding Jesus with Good News report A5 WEB

What churches are doing well

Taking a genuine interest – Participants described how the people
they met in church spaces really cared about them and listened
attentively to them. They weren’t hurried, distracted or coming with
an agenda. They asked questions and listened well. Participants
commented that this is different from how people generally relate to
them in other spaces.
Supporting them through life’s challenges – During the exploring
phase, some were wrestling with challenges, such as job loss, grief,
substance misuse issues and health problems. They described how
people within the church community supported them through these
challenges, both emotionally and practically.
Modelling faith in action – By being part of a Christian community,
those exploring faith could see what following Jesus looked like in the
lives of others. This helped them see that Jesus really does change lives.
“

I remember coming home one day and saying to my
husband, “I don’t know what it is about that place. I love
being there to the point where I will stay and help them
clear up at the end, because there’s just something there;
I just love it”… I think initially, the factor that was most
significant was the people at the church. I noticed there
was something about these people that made me want
to know, Why are you like this? … They just seemed to all
be loving of one another, and they were so welcoming,
they were so kind, they were interested in you. They’d
remember things. So, if you’d happen to mention at the
toddler group, “Oh, I’ve got this going on this week,” I’d
go back the week after, and they’d say, “Oh, how was
it?” And I’d think, Oh, my gosh! My husband didn’t even
remember I was doing that, and you have!”
Evangelical Alliance 31